A i t 



' 













SOME ACCOUNT 



OP THE 



PALMER FAMILY 



OF EAHAN, COUNTY KXLDARE, IRELAND 



BY 

TEMPLE PRIME 

(HUNTINGTON, N. Y., V. S. A.) 



ifourtl) Edition 



NEW-YORK 
1903 






^ ^ 



a 




2^ 



PALMER. 



PALMER. 



Issue. 

1. Thomas Palmer, of whom later. 

2. John Palmer. 

3. William Palmer, of Ballyboggan ; alive in 1742. 



THOMAS PALMER, 

OF Kellenkillen, CO. Meath. 

Died: in 1750. 

Will: 1 June 24 th 1742; proved in 1750. 

Married : , daughter of George Colley, of Monas- 



teroris, co. Kings. 



Issue. 



1. Susanna Palmer; married prior to 1742. 

2. George Palmer, of Armagh; in 1770 he was alive, 
and had five children. 



1 See page 28. 

3 



4 PALMER FAMILY. 

3. Judith Palmer. 

4. Dudley Palmer. 

5. Mary Palmer. 

6. John Palmer; not 21 in 1742. 

7. Anne Palmer, not 21 in 1742 ; married Walter Codd, 
of Kellenkillen, co. Meath. 

8. Charles Palmer, of whom later. 

9. Margaret Palmer, married John Hutchinson ; both 
alive in 1770. 



CHARLES PALMER, 

OF Rahan. 

Born : not 21 in 1742. 

Died: in 1806. 

Will : April 13th 1804 ; proved August 9th 1806. (Pub- 
lic Record Office of Ireland, Dublin.) 1 

Married : in 1771, Anne, daughter of William Lambe, 

of Prospect, co. Wicklow, Esq., and of Elizabeth his 

wife ; she died prior to 1787. 2 



Issue. 

1. Charles Palmer, of whom later. 

2. William Lambe Palmer. 3 

3. Thomas Palmer, of Ballyhagan; died August 11th 
1825; intestate. 

4. Eliza Palmer, born in 1774; died at Versailles, 
France, October 14th 1856; interred there in the Cemetery 
of Notre-Dame. 

1 See 3d edition, page 20. 

2 For copy of her will, see page 29. 

3 See page 15. 




THOMAS PALMER, 

Died in 1825. 




ELIZA PALMER. 
From a miniature taken in 1854. 



PALMER FAMILY. 9 

REV 15 . CHARLES PALMER, 

op Rahan. 

Appointed Vicar of Carbury in 1796. 

Died: in 1840. 

Married : Elizabeth, daughter of Hamilton Lowe Lock- 
wood, of Castle Lake, co. Tipperary, Esq. 

Issue. 

1. Hamilton William Palmer ; died young. 

2. Charles Colley Palmer ; died young. 

3. William Lambe Palmer, of whom later. 

4. Elizabeth Palmer, married Thomas Kemmis, of 
Killeen, co. Queens, Esq. ; she died in March 1893. 



WILLIAM LAMBE PALMER, 

op Rahan. 

Died: in 1849. 

Married: Elizabeth Emily Anne, third daughter of 
Colonel Nugent, of Clonlost, co. Westmeath; she died at 
Knapton Abbeyleise, July 19th 1897. 

Issue. 

1. Charles Colley Palmer, of whom later. 

2. Hamilton William Palmer ; married in 1877, Hen- 
rietta Frances, widow of Captain George Macartney, of 
Lissamore Castle, co. Antrim, and third daughter of Robert 
Smyth, of Gaybrook, co. Westmeath, Esq. 

3. Augusta Palmer, married in 1870, Captain William 
Clarke; left a widow November 19th 1897. 



10 PALMER FAMILY. 

CHARLES COLLEY PALMER, 

of Rahan, and of Clonlost, CO. Westmeath. 
High Sheriff of co. Kildare in 1875. 

Born : March 10th 1845. 

Married : April 4th 1866, Mary Jane, only daughter of 
Francis Longworth Dames, of Greenhill, co. Kings, Esq., 
by Elizabeth, his second wife, daughter of R. Smyth, of 
Gaybrook, co. Westmeath, Esq. 

Issue. 

1. William Francis Palmer, born August 30th 1867; 
died in South Africa, September 25th 1895. 

2. Dudley Colley Palmer, born October 28th 1868 j 
Captain 4th Batt. Leinster Reg*; married, August 5th 1896, 
Constance M., second daughter of Charles Florance Young, 
Esq., of 22 Cranley Gardens, South Kensington. 

3. Charles Nugent Palmer, born February 22d 1870. 

4. Mabel Elizabeth Palmer; married June 3d 1896, 
at Carbury Church, to Mansel Longworth Dames, of Green- 
hill, co. Kings, Esq. 




J. Trumbull, piiixit. 
WILLIAM LAMBE PALMER, 




Malbone, pinxit. 



AUGUSTA GRENVILLE TEMPLE, 
MES. WILLIAM LAMBE PALMER. 



PALMER FAMILY. 15 

WILLIAM LAMBE PALMER. 

(Second Son of Charles Palmer, of Rahan.) 

Born: at Rahan in 1773. 

Died: Boston, Mass., December 15th 1823; buried there. 

Will: Paris, May 24th 1823; proved Boston, December 
29th 1823; Probate Office, Suffolk Co., Mass. 1 

Married: at Richmond Hill, New York, by Samuel 
Provoost, Bishop of the Diocese, September 12th 1797, 
Augusta Grenville, 2 daughter of Sir John Temple, Bt. ; 
born Boston, January 22d 1779 ; baptized at Trinity Church, 
Boston, February 21st 1779; died at Versailles, France, 
August 18th 1852 ; buried 3 there in the Cemetery of Notre- 
Dame, August 20th; will 4 Paris, November 5th 1849; 
Surrogate's Office, New York, Liber 105, fol. 469; resided 
as a widow: 

1823-1828 Boston. 
1828-1830 Philadelphia. 
1830-1840 New York. 
1840 Europe. 
1841-1844 New York. 

1844 Switzerland. 

1845 Paris. 
1846-1852 Versailles. 

1 See 3d edition, page 22. 

2 St. John de Crevecoeur, writing to Governor Bowdoin of Mass., 
from New York, August 26th 1788, says: "I saw Lady Temple a few 
days ago, she was in perfect health as well as your granddaughter 
Augusta ; as for Sir John, no man can enjoy a greater degree of it." 
Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc. X., 240. 

3 Her tomb bears the following inscription : 

"Sacred to The Memory of 

Augusta Temple, widow of William L. Palmer, Esq., and daughter 

of the late Sir John Temple, Bart., formerly H. B. M. Consul 

General to the United States of America. 

Born at Boston, U. S. of America. 

Died at Versailles 18th of August, 1852, 

In the 68th year of her age." 

4 See 3d edition, page 23. 



16 PALMER FAMILY. 



Issue. 



1. John Temple Palmer, born prior to 1804; drowned 
February 21st 1822, by the collapse of a bridge in the town 
of Durham, Connecticut; buried at Durham, February 
24th 1822. 1 

2. Anne Elizabeth Palmer, born 1802; died June 
14th 1808 ; interred in the Bowdoin vault in the Granary 
Cemetery, Tremont Street, Boston. 

3. Charles Colley Palmer, born in Boston prior to 
1804 ; died Versailles, France, May 1858 ; interred there in 
the Cemetery of Notre-Dame ; intestate. 

4. Augusta Temple Palmer, born London, November 
12th 1807; married, Philadelphia, October 16th 1828, Rufus, 
son of Nathaniel Prime of New York; she died, N. Y., 
October 9th 1840; left issue. 

5. Elizabeth Mary Pomeroy Palmer, born Boston, 
1809; died Versailles, France, December 18th 1875 ; interred 
there in the Cemetery of Notre-Dame; will Paris, August 
24th 1858; Surrogate's Office, New York. 

6. Frederick Temple Palmer, born at Brussels, in 
Belgium, in 1815; died at Versailles, France, September 
24th 1901; interred there in the Cemetery of Notre-Dame, 
September 27th 1901 ; will admitted to probate in the Sur- 
rogate's Court, New York. 

7. William Bowdoin Palmer, born Florence, Italy, 
Jan. 4th 1818; died at Olivet, Michigan, August 6th, 1889; 
buried there; will, Olivet, July 12th 1889. 

Account of William Lambe Palmer. 

1792 February 28th, Cornet 18th Light Dragoons of the 
British Army. 

1793 May 31st, Lieutenant in the same regiment. 

1793 December 19th, to 1798, Captain in the same regi- 
ment. 

1 See page 40. 




Gilbert Stuart, pinxit. 



AUGUSTA GRENVILLE TEMPLE, 
MRS. WILLIAM LAMBE PALMER. 




AUGUSTA TEMPLE PALMEE, 
MRS. RUFUS PRIME. 




ELIZABETH MARY POMEROY PALMER. 
From a miniature taken in 185R. 



PALMER FAMILY. 23 

1798 January, residing in New York with his wife's 
father. 

1798 Nov. 19th, Acting British Consul-General in New 
York. 

1800 in Ireland. 

1803 August to December 1st, Captain Second Battalion 
of the Reserves, England. 

1803 family arrive at Liverpool from America. 

1804 May, Captain on half pay, late of the 93d Foot. 
1804 to 1807 in Europe. 

1807, December 23d, admitted as a citizen of the United 
States. 

1808 in Europe. 

1809 in Boston. 

1811 residing in Boston in a house belonging to his wife's 
mother, 17 or 18 Franklin Square. 

1812 left for Europe. 
1815 in Brussels. 

1823 returned to Boston. 



APPENDIX 



PALMER FAMILY. 27 



APPENDIX. 

Table of Contents of the Appendix. 

PAGE 

Will of Thomas Palmer, of Kellenkillen 28 

Will of Elizabeth , widow of William Lam be, 

of Prospect, co. Wicklow, Esq 29 

Funeral sermon preached by the Rev*! D r Gardiner, 
in Trinity Church, Boston, on the death of William 
Lambe Palmer, Esq., Sunday, 21st December 1823 . 31 

A Sermon delivered at Durham, Feb. 24th 1822, at 
the funeral of M r Isaac Prentiss, of Boston, and 
M r John T. Palmer, from Europe 40 



28 PALMER FAMILY. 



Will of Thomas Palmer, of Kellenkillen. 

In the name of God Amen I Thomas Palmer of Kellen- 
killen Gent being sick and weak in body, but perfect in my 
mind and memory, thanks be to the Almighty God for the 
same, being fully assured that its appointed for all men to 
die, so think it proper to make this and no other my last 
Will and Testament. And I do hereby bequeath my Leases 
of all my holdings, and all my goods and Chatties, in man- 
ner following, my just debts being first cleared and dis- 
charged, I first bequeath to my beloved daughter Susana 
one shilling and no more, she being well married and pro- 
vided for, and I also leave to my beloved son George one 
shilling and no more he being already provided for by my 
brother Dudley Oolley, and I do also leave to my beloved 
daughter Judith, one yellow heifer now springing to Calfe, 
and no more, and do leave to my beloved son Dudley, one 
shilling and no more, my Bro John Palmer, having already 
taken him into his care. I do bequeath my holding and 
Chatties, (my Debts and Legacies as before mentioned being 
first discharged) to my daughter Mary, my son John my 
daughter Anne my son Charles and my daughter Margaret, 
to be equally divided between them, and if it should hap- 
pen, if either of my sons John or Charles, or any of my 
daughters, Mary, Anne, or Margaret should die before they 
attain the age of twenty-one years their proportion should 
be equally divided among the survivors of these last named 
Sons and Daughters, or if any of them should marry before 
the age of twenty-one years without the consent of my Ex- 
ecutors, hereafter mentioned first had and obtained that 
then their part and proportion shall be equally divided 
among the remainder of these last mentioned sons and 
daughters, and I do now constitute and appoint my Bro 
Charles Colley of Raheen, and my Bro Will Palmer of 
Ballyboggan executors of this my last will and Testament. 



PALMER FAMILY. 29 

Signed sealed and published in the presence of us this 24 th 
day of June 1742. Tho". Palmer. 

Will Moss Rich d Fox Ann Fox. 

Proved 1750 by Charles Colley one of the Executors. 



Will of Elizabeth , widow of William lambe, 

of Prospect, co. Wicklow, Esq. 

(Extracted from the 'Registry of his Majesty's Court of Prerog. 

in Ireland.) 

In the Name of God Amen. I Elizabeth Lambe Widow 
and Admx. of William Lambe late of Prospect in the County 
of Wicklow Esqre. do make and publish this my last will 
and Testament in manner following First I bequeath my 
Soul to God hoping for Salvation through the Merits of my 
Blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ And I desire that I may be 
privately Buried at the direction of my Ex'ors herein after 
named I order and direct all my Just Debts and Funeral 
Expenses to be paid I Give and Devise to my Grandson 
Will: Lambe Palmer Second son of Charles Palmer of 
Rahin in the County of Kildare Esqre. by Anne his late 
Wife all my Estate and Interest for ever in the Lands of 
Prospect in the County of Wicklow now Occupied by Wil- 
liam Fleming Esqre. and the Heirs of his Body lawfully to 
be begotten I also Give and Devise to the said Will : Lambe 
Palmer the Foot Lot of Ground on the North strand in the 
City of Dublin No. 17 (in the Map) late in the possession 
of Edward Chettrane Esqre. deceased and the Heirs of his 
Body lawfully to be begotten I also Give and Devise for 
ever to the said Will Lambe Palmer and the Heirs of his 
Body lawfully to be begotten All that dwelling House with 
the Appurtenances thereunto belonging situate in Bull Alley 
in the City of Dublin known by the name of Eakins Holding 
and now in the possession of William Sheridan together 
with the yard and Backside belonging to the same and it is 
my will that in case the said Will Lambe should die before 



30 PALMER FAMILY. 

he attains his age of Twenty one years then I give and De- 
vise all the before ment'd Estates for ever to his Brother 
Thomas Palmer and the Heirs of his Body lawfully to be 
begotten upon this Express Condition that he takes upon 
himself and uses the Names of Will: Lambe Palmer instead 
of those of Thomas Palmer And in case of failure of lawful 
Issue of the Body of the Sd. Thos. Palmer then to my own 
Right Heirs for ever I also Give and Bequeath all my ready 
Money furniture plate (except my Gold Watch Gold seal 
and Gold Sleeve Buttons which I hereby Give and Bequeath 
to my said Grand son Will Lambe Palmer) Jewels China 
wearing apparel and House Linen of what nature or kind 
soever to my Dear Daughter Lydia Codd widow of Thomas 
Codd in consid'n of her care and tenderness about my per- 
son And as to all the rest residue & remainder of all my 
real and personal Estates which I shall die possessed of or 
Intilled unto and which are not already hereinbefore dis- 
posed of I Give Devise and Bequeath the same and every 
part thereof unto to my Dear Daughters Codd and Margaret 
Archer Wife of Thomas Archer of Mount John in the 
County of Wicklow Gent'n equally between them to be 
divided share and share alike And it is my will that the 
share of the said Margaret Archer shall be to her own sole 
and separate use for life with reversion and remainder after 
her decease to said Child or Children by her said Husband 
and in such shares and proportions as she the said Margaret 
Archer shall by any writing under her Hand and seal direct 
limit and appoint notwithstanding her coverture to the 
intent that the same may not be at the disposal of or in any 
way liable to the controwl or subject to the Debts or En- 
gagements of her present or any after taken Husband And 
of this my Will I nominate and appoint the said Charles 
Palmer and my said Daughter Lydia Codd Exors hereby 
revoking all Wills by me heretofore made And declaring 
this to be my last Will and Testament In Witness Whereof 
I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this Twenty third Day 
of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven 
hundred & eighty seven. Eliz. Lambe (Seal) 



PALMER FAMILY. 31 

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Eliz'th. 
Lambe as and for her last will and Testament in the pres- 
ence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as 
Witnesses hereto in the presence of the said Testatrix & of 
each other the word "Way" being first Interlined between 
the Thirty second & Thirty third Lines of the second page 
hereof 

Benjamin Hallam 
Sam'l Smith Jun'r 
Jos'h Wilson 

The last will and Testament of Eliz'th Lambe Widow late 

deceased (widow of William Lambe late of Prospect in the 

County of Wieklow Esqre deceased, having & so forth) was 

proved in common form of Law and Probate thereof 

Granted by the Most Rev'd Father Richard & so forth To 

Lydia Codd widow and Cha's Palmer the Exors named in 

said Will they being first sworn personally saving the right 

of every person whatsoever — Dated the Twenty ninth Day 

of November in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven 

hundred and Eighty Eight 

A true Copy which I attest 

John Hawkins 

D Reg'r. 



FUNERAL SERMON. 

Preached by the Rev'd Dr. Gardiner, in Trinity Church, Boston, 
on the death of William Lambe Palmer, Esq'r. Sunday, 21st 
December, 1823. 

BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN: FOR THEY 

SHALL BE COMFORTED. 

Math. chr. 5, ver. ith. 

In direct opposition to the prejudices of mankind our 
blessed Saviour preached truth & righteousness, however 
the novelties of his doctrine may have surprized, or their 
3 



32 PALMER FAMILY. 

apparent severity disgusted them. The doctrine of the text 
must have astonished his hearers, who had been taught to 
consider every cause of mourning as a serious calamity. 
Joy and pleasure were regarded then as they are by many 
at present as the only sources of happiness, though one 
might reasonably imagine that uniform experience might 
convince them of their mistake. But the bulk of mankind 
seldom reflect & are mostly influenced by the impressions of 
the moment. Whilst care & sorrow are absent they rarely 
think how soon they may experience their miseries — much 
less can they be induced to think that those miseries may 
promote their final happiness by leading them to reflect on 
the dangerous tendency of their present frivolous pursuits. 
Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted. 
But to receive this blessing & comfort, we must be careful 
to mourn for proper objects. Otherwise we may mourn, 
when we ought to rejoice, & complain when we ought to be 
thankful. We have no reason to expect the blessing & 
consolation of heaven when we mourn immoderately for 
the unavoidable calamities of life. To expect that we can 
pass thro' this world without a sorrow to afflict us, would 
be a weak & foolish expectation. Sorrow is our portion in 
this world. We are born to it. It is our birthright, the 
legacy of our first parents. Man, says Job, is born to 
trouble. Is it not then extreme folly to quarrel with our 
situation, which we cannot alter? Can we expect to be 
blessed & comforted by repining at the lot we hold in 
common with the whole human race? Providence has ap- 
pointed that the heart of man, like the face of nature shall 
not enjoy perpetual sunshine, that it shall occasionally be 
clouded & overcast, that it shall experience all the varieties 
of the seasons, that it shall sometimes bask in the warmth 
of summer & sometimes shrink beneath the blast of winter. 
Our life is a chequered scene of good & evil, of joy & sorrow, 
& the portion of each, whatever difference there may be in 
their external circumstances is pretty equally divided among 
the sons of men. The happiest have their sorrows, & the 
most miserable their enjoyments. Are you born to poverty? 



PALMER FAMILY. 33 

You cannot reasonably lament your situation, whilst you 
can procure the necessaries of life. Should you gain more, 
you enjoy it with double relish. Are you brought up with 
large expectations ? You will still experience the unavoid- 
able fate of man, & be compelled to acknowledge that he is 
born to trouble, though you have no real, you may have 
imaginary wants, & the latter are commonly as great a 
source of murmuring & complaint as the former. Men in 
exalted stations, have also generally exalted ideas, & feel 
with more keenness & sensibility every stroke of adverse 
fortune. Whilst they have all the means of real enjoyment 
in their power, they pant after the possession of some 
fanciful blessing & sicken with chagrin and disappointment, 
should they lose the post they occupy or should a rival out- 
strip them in the race of worldly glory. But there can be 
no blessedness or comfort in this kind of mourning, for 
what is it but to murmur at the dispensations of providence, 
to repine at the decrees of the most high? Let the poor 
then be satisfied with their poverty, or else strive to improve 
their situation, not by irreligious & unavailing complaint 
but by the exertions of honest industry, accompanied with 
sobriety. Let those who enjoy worldly advantages be grate- 
ful for the blessing as they ought & not turn it into a curse 
by the violence of their ungoverned passion, by their avarice, 
their envy & their ambition. 

Neither can they be blessed who mourn from a spirit of 
envy. If others enjoy advantages of which we are deprived, 
I see no reason, why we should repine & be discontented 
with our situation. It should rather excite in us a spirit of 
emulation. It should lead us to enquire by what means 
they attained their prosperity. If by their virtues, we 
should imitate them. If by unjustifiable means, we should 
rather pity their folly & abhor their guilt, than make our- 
selves odious both to God & man by pursuing the same 
wicked & disgraceful conduct. An honest man is the noblest 
work of God & he who is dishonest, is consequently the 
vilest, however affluent his circumstances or exalted his 
station. Nor can we expect to be blessed, if we mourn, 



34 PALMER FAMILY. 

when disappointed in any improper pursuit, the tears of 
detected villany are not always the tears of penitence, but 
often tears of sorrow or regret for not having succeeded in 
its projects. We know so little what is really good for us 
that were our plans always to succeed, they would often 
make us more miserable, the mercy of our heavenly Father 
therefore often disappoints us for our Good, as he knows 
much better than ourselves what is truly to our advantage. 
If he sees that riches would make us proud, insolent & for- 
getful of the hand that formed us, he iu kindness may with- 
hold them from us. All his gifts are conferred to promote 
the general welfare of his creatures. If he bestow wealth on 
the worthless, he bestows it on them for their punishment 
& to lessen our opinion of its value. If on the virtuous & 
deserving, that they may expend it in advancing the cause 
of righteousness, which is the cause of God & of man in 
relieving the distressed, assisting the widow & orphan & 
promoting both public & private happiness. If then we 
meet with disappointments & lament them, we must not on 
that account expect to be blessed. We may mourn the loss 
of what we do not want, or because we cannot obtain what 
we do not deserve. But however grievous may be this kind 
of suffering, they are not entitled to reward, nor can we ex- 
pect to be blessed & comforted on such occasions. The 
thief & murderer, on the way to the gallows may mourn & 
mourn very sincerely. But if they mourn merely their 
untimely end & not the guilt that caused it, they have cer- 
tainly no claim either to consolation or compassion. 

" For when Guilt or Folly suffer 
'T is weakness to be mov'd." 

Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted. 

This blessedness & consolation then cannot be the reward 
of those, who mourn improperly, but must necessarily be 
confined to virtuous & godly sorrow. When we lose an 
affectionate friend, or beloved relation, we cannot avoid 
feeling a degree of sorrow & regret. And those emotions 
far from being sinful are highly amiable, when attended 



PALMER FAMILY. 35 

with submission to the will of heaven. Our blessed Saviour 
wept at scenes of tenderness & distress & often mourned, 
tho' always with perfect resignation to his Father's will. 

"Tears are no reproach — 
Tears oft look graceful on the manly cheek: 
The cruel cannot weep." 

It is the misfortune of some to be peculiarly afflicted to 
feel the heavy hand of calamity press on them thro' their 
whole life, to be baffled in every pursuit & to experience 
every misfortune. And can we believe that the great dis- 
poser of all events sent these afflictions & did not intend 
they should be felt? Could it be his wish that his creatures 
should be insensible, or his design to make them so? This 
could never be the intention of divine wisdom & goodness. 
Our heavenly Father often afflicts us for our good, knowing 
that godly sorrow produces repentance & repentance amend- 
ment of life. Man therefore who is born to trouble has an 
undoubted right to mourn, when he is afflicted: Our Re- 
deemer who was himself a man of sorrows & acquainted 
with grief has set us an example. But amidst his greatest 
sufferings, severe & bitter as they were, he always remem- 
bered the hand that inflicted them & never f ail'd to conclude 
his prayer with saying ' Father, not mine, but thy will be 
done.' As men therefore we must feel the afflictions of men 
& mourn those afflictions. But we should never forget that 
there is a wise and gracious God, who is the disposer of all 
events ; that it is our duty to submit to his sovereign will 
& pleasure: that he has declared by his Son our blessed 
Saviour that when we mourn properly we shall be blessed 
& comforted. Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall 
be comforted. In the midst of our severest sufferings then 
we should be mindful of this gracious promise, we should 
recollect this heavenly declaration. The Sun of Righteous- 
ness can disperse in a moment the darkest clouds of mis- 
fortune, & cheer & warm us in the gloomiest hours of ad- 
versity. We should therefore ask ourselves in the language 
of the Psalmist, Why art thou so vexed, O my soul, why art 



36 PALMER FAMILY. 

thou disquieted within me? Can I remove the cause of sor- 
row by indulging it? Have I received good at the hand of 
God & shall I not receive evil also? Is it not in the power 
of God to change my sorrow into Joy ? Has not his son 
promised it when he says: Blessed are they that mourn: for 
they shall be comforted ? Turn unto thy rest, O my soul, 
for the Lord will reward thee. He will turn thy sorrow 
into joy & make thy temporary afflictions the prelude of 
eternal happiness. Sympathy, compassion are Xian duties, 
since our Redeemer directs us to weep with those who weep. 
The distresses of life are so complicate, its misfortunes so 
numerous, that one would think that it would be unneces- 
sary for religion to interpose her authority to enforce the 
duties of humanity. Our own sufferings & those of our 
acquaintance afford us daily lessons of the precarious na- 
ture of all worldly possessions. They teach us to set our 
affections on more substantial blessings & to part cheerfully 
with our mite to relieve the distresses of others. But man 
in prosperity is too often a proud & insolent being. He 
seldom reflects on distress he has never felt, nor is he solici- 
tous to relieve wants he has never known. But when he 
experiences the chastening hand of affliction his heart is 
softened & subdued. He then learns to pity the misfortunes 
of others & to weep with those who weep. The goodness 
of God has ordained, that every virtue should in some 
measure be its own reward. Thus the compassion we be- 
stow on the unfortunate fills the heart with the most pleas- 
ing sensations, & those who then mourn are always sure to 
be blessed & comforted. Nor we, do we receive less conso- 
lation, when we mourn for the sins we have committed. 
When we reflect on the goodness of God towards us, & the 
numberless errors & follies of which we have been guilty, if 
we feel as we ought, we must experience the most poignant 
sorrow & regret. But however sharp may be the sting of 
Grief on this occasion, it will be succeeded by the happiest 
consequences. Our godly sorrow will produce that sincere 
repentance which is the parent of reformation & when we 
view our present happy situation & contrast it with our 



PALMER FAMILY. 37 

former guilt, we shall feel all that blessedness & comfort 
which our Redeemer has promised. Blessed are they that 
mourn : for they shall be comforted. In all our afflictions 
then let us turn our eyes to the Father of Mercies & God of 
all consolation & study his will in the Gospel of his Son. 
If we mourn from improper motives, we shall receive & we 
shall deserve no consolation. But if amidst all our losses & 
afflictions we submit with resignation to the will of heaven, 
if we sympathize with the unfortunate, if we mourn for our 
sins & reform our conduct, we shall be blessed & comforted, 
& tho' we sow in tears, we shall reap in joy, tho' we mourn 
now, we shall be comforted hereafter. Though we are mis- 
erable at present, we shall be happy in future. Let us apply 
then in our distress to that being who is a strength to the 
poor, a strength to the needy in his distress a refuge from 
the storm, a shadow from the heat & he will give us beauty 
for ashes the oil of joy for mourning the garments of praise 
for the spirit of heaviness. May these considerations prove 
consolatory to those who have experienced affliction in the 
loss of friends connexions & children. You should remem- 
ber my brethren that every blessing you possess is a loan & 
not a gift, & that God who gave has a right to redemand 
his own. Your most valued friends & dearest children, 
were his before they were yours, & will hereafter dwell with 
him to all eternity. Would you have those who are destined 
to immortality in a happier state immortal here, merely for 
your gratification? Would you wish to recall them from 
happiness to misery, to expose them to all the afflictions of 
this troubled & shifting scene, the evils of poverty, the 
temptations of riches, the pain of sickness & the infirmities 
of age? This surely is selfish & unreasonable & proves 
that you love those you have lost not for their sake but for 
your own. 

You cannot but be sensible of the conditions on which we 
receive life. Man that is born of a woman, has but a short 
time to live. It is ordained unto all men once to die. The 
separation of the dearest connections must take place when 
the spirit shall return to God who gave it. You know the 



38 PALMER FAMILY. 

frail tenure by which every thing in this world is holden. 
Why then not reconcile yourselves to what is inevitable, 
more especially as the separation is but temporary & you 
will hereafter be reunited with those you love never more 
to part. This world was never designed for our final resi- 
dence. It is but a foreign country thro' which we are pass- 
ing to the place of our ultimate destination. For we are 
pilgrims & sojourners as all our fathers, mere birds of 
passage on the wing to another & a better climate. Think 
not then that yr. deceased friends cease to exist. They do 
exist & enjoy existence in a very superior manner to what 
they experienced in this world. Tho' absent from you they 
are present with the Lord. For Jesus Christ has bro't life 
& immortality to light thro' the Gospel, has deprived Death 
of his sting & dispoiled the Grave of his victory. Mourn 
not then as those who have no hope. Why should you in- 
dulge in immoderate grief? Why sadden your spirits & 
injure your health & thus disqualify yourself from perform- 
ing the indispensable duties of life? What advantage can 
they who we trust are now in the realm of bliss derive from 
so unavailing a sacrifice? Your sorrow can do them no 
good. To yourself it may do infinite harm. Can they from 
whose eyes God has wiped away all tears be pleased with 
yours? Can they be gratified by knowing that you repine 
at their happiness? Can your tears recall the departed 
spirit? Can your sighs reanimate the breathless clay? 
Wherefore should you weep? You shall go to them but 
they shall not return to you. What greater source of con- 
solation can there be than the sure & certain knowledge 
that we shall meet in another world, with those who were 
the objects of our affection in this? That every moment 
accelerates our departure home & hastens the happy period 
when we shall be reunited with them forever. If then you 
would receive the blessedness promised in the text to those 
who mourn, mourn with moderation & with entire submission 
to the will of your heavenly Father. Say with pious Job, The 
Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name 
of the Lord. That being who tempers the wind to the shorn 



PALMER FAMILY. 39 

lamb" will not be unmindful of your godly sorrow, but will 
shorten the period of your sufferings & turn your tears into 
joy. Suffer not your thoughts then to dwell too long on 
the breathless body, the sable bier & the closing grave. 
But look forward to brighter scenes when death shall be 
swallowed up in victory, when you shall meet your deceased 
friends in endless bliss. When the enraptured parent shall 
clasp to her bosom her beloved child, the delighted child 
embrace with transport those parents whose ashes had been 
moistened with his early tears. When they will no longer 
see darkly as thro' a glass, but face to face & know as they 
will be known. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall 
be comforted. 

The deceased whose obsequies we have lately solemnized 
would have every claim to our regret for his virtues, had 
not existence for many years been a burthen to him. But 
when suffering is severe, a recovery hopeless, it is not rea- 
sonable to lament, that those we lose are removed from 
misery to happiness, from mortal anguish to immortal feli- 
city. Such mourning is selfish & cannot be blessed or be 
rewarded with the consolation of the Gospel. The deceased 
had in early life proved a gallant Soldier, & throughout life 
had uniformly preserved the character of a man of amiable 
disposition & of the strictest principles, a man of honor, a 
Gentleman & a Christian. He lived in the discharge of all 
his duties & died in the faith of Christ in the arms of con- 
jugal affection and of filial piety. Blessed are the dead who 
thus die in the Lord, in the presence of an affectionate 
family, in whose breasts the memory of their virtues is 
deeply engraven. Submit then ye afflicted mourners to the 
ordinance of the Supreme disposer, who best knows what is 
good for us. The hours of your life are fast fleeting away, 
& every moment brings you nearer to the period, when a 
reunion will take place between you, & the object of your 
regret. You are rapidly passing the isthmus which con- 
nects this world with the next, & your passage over it will 
be more cheerful & satisfactory by cherishing pious senti- 
ments of submission & resignation to the will of heaven. 
4 



40 PALMER FAMILY. 

A beam of consolation will then break from the Sun of 
righteousness to light you on the way. It will disperse the 
clouds of sorrow, which at present overcast your happiness, 
& the truth of the text will be brought home to your 
bosom : Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be 
comforted. 



A SERMON", 1 



Delivered at Durham, Conn., Feb. 24th, 1822, at the funeral of 
Mr. Isaac Prentiss, of Boston, and Mr. John T. Palmer, from 
Europe ; who were drowned, in consequence of the fall of a 
bridge, while the stage-coach was passing over it. 

BY DAVID SMITH, A. M. 

PASTOK OP THE CHURCH IN DURHAM. 

SEEING HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED, THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS ARE 

WITH THEE; THOU HAST APPOINTED HIS BOUNDS THAT 

HE CANNOT PASS. 

Job xiv. 5. 

It appears, that in this chapter, the thoughts of Job were 
principally occupied on the subject of death. To this he was 
more particularly led, by the afflictions to which he was 
called. Having, in one day, been deprived, not only of his 
worldly property, but also of all his children, and visited 
with great bodily distress, he was led to realize the vanity 
and insufficiency of all created enjoyments. He contem- 
plated life as a vapour, as a mere shadow which continueth 

1 The following discourse was prepared in great haste, and in much 
perturbation: and the only apology for its appearance before the pub- 
lic is, the solicitation of a number of respectable gentlemen in the town ; 
and of some of the friends of the deceased. To the bereaved relatives, 
it is, therefore, respectfully dedicated by their sympathizing, though 
unknown friend, 

The Author. 



PALMER FAMILY. 41 

not. He thus introduces the chapter: — " Man that is born 
of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble: He conieth 
forth like a flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a 
shadow and continueth not." 

Though Job was called to experience a very sudden and 
unexpected reverse of circumstances, yet he considered all 
this as ordered by the special providence of God. He con- 
sidered no event as the production of chance, but all to be 
the result of infinite wisdom. Though life is precarious, 
and we know not what a day, or an hour may bring forth, 
yet he considered its period as fixed in the divine mind. 
" Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months 
are with thee ; thou hast appointed his bounds that he can- 
not pass." Here Job expressly declares, that not only the 
number of his months are fixed in the divine mind, but 
every day of our lives is determined, and a oound set that no 
one can pass. 

The doctrine, naturally suggested from the text, is this : 
The moment of every person's death is determined, or fixed 
upon, by Jehovah. His bounds are appointed that he can- 
not pass. As sure as one is born into the world, so sure the 
time, and the manner of his death are fixed. To some a 
longer, and to others a shorter time is appointed. Some, as 
soon as they begin to live, resign their breath. They no 
sooner embark on life's tempestuous sea, than they arrive at 
the destined port. — Some tarry a little longer. They begin 
to speak and go, and entwine around their parents' heart, 
when the frosty hand of death crops the budding flower, and 
blasts parental hopes. — Others are continued a little longer 
still. They appear in the bloom of youth, and bid fair for 
usefulness ; when, lo ! an envenomed shaft from death's fatal 
quiver, prostrates their strength and beauty in the dust. 
The flower expands, but is suddenly withered. 

Some attain to a state of manhood, complete their educa- 
tion, and are just ready to step on the stage of active life, 
when an unexpected summons arrives to call them hence. 

Some reach the meridian of life, and behold their rising 
offspring looking to them for direction and support, when 



42 PALMER FAMILY. 

the pale messenger arrives with the solemn mandate for 
them, instantly to leave all, and go, to return no more. 
Though their foundation may seem to be firm, and length 
of days appear imprinted on their countenance, yet they 
cannot pass their appointed bounds. However strong the 
ties which hold them to this world, yet, at the appointed 
time, death tears them asunder, and often with many ag- 
gravating circumstances. To see one of this description, 
suddenly arrested, not only in journeying from one part of 
the country to another, but also in the journey of life, and 
summoned to the unseen world, leaving a young family 
depending on him for support, is truly affecting. Such an 
instance we have before us. He had reached his bounds, 
but could not pass. 

Others, again, arrive to venerable old age before they 
complete the number of their months, and reach their ap- 
pointed bounds. They live till they have followed to the 
grave almost all who commenced the journey of life with 
them, and have seen them shrouded in the dust. Still their 
days are determined. And when the number of their months 
is completed, they, also, must retire from the world, what- 
ever may be their station, or circumstances. Life cannot be 
protracted a moment beyond its fixed bounds. When the 
determined moment of dissolution has come, " The silver 
cord is loosed, and the golden bowl is broken." Then the 
dust returns to the earth as it was, and the Spirit to God 
who gave it, to be disposed of according to its character. 

At every period of life, from the new-born infant, to the 
man bowed down with years, some are reaching the destined 
moment of their dissolution, and retiring to the land of 
silence. Each one is summoned at the appointed moment. 
He who gave us existence, and appointed for us a place in 
this world, has determined how long we shall tarry here to 
occupy it. When this period shall have expired, the vital 
fluid ceases to flow, respiration is stopped, and we depart. 
He who gave life, and knows all things, knows perfectly 
well the most suitable time and manner to terminate its 
course. God does nothing in vain. He answers infinitely 



PALMER FAMILY. 43 

wise and important ends by all he performs. Hence we 
may be assured, that no one lives a moment too long, nor 
dies a moment too soon. Though to ns, who are unable to 
comprehend the divine plan, it may seem otherwise ; yet it 
is certain, that every one dies at the best time possible, it 
being the time appointed by infinite wisdom. 

If our friends, or any of our fellow-men are summoned 
hence by the king of terrors, we ought to consider it as the 
appointment of God, and that, according to the divine plan, 
it is best they should go at the time, and in the manner ap- 
pointed. This consideration should teach us submission 
to the divine will, and dispose us to say with Eli: "It is the 
Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." And with Job : 
" The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed 
be the name of the Lord." 

That the moment of every person's death is determined 
by Jehovah, is further taught in the context. Said Job, 
" All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change 
come." To wait for a thing, implies a readiness to receive 
it. So to wait for our departure hence, implies a readiness 
to go. Though Job felt a readiness to depart, yet being 
sensible that the time of his change or departure hence was 
appointed by Jehovah, and could not be altered, he resolved 
to wait patiently its arrival. He further says, " Is there 
not an appointed time for man upon earth? Are not his 
days as the days of an hireling?" This question amounts 
to a positive declaration, that there is an exact time ap- 
pointed for every person to live ; and consequently, a par- 
ticular moment determined, in which he must die. 

If this be true, some may inquire, of what avail are human 
endeavours to preserve life? No one will die before, or live 
beyond, the determined moment of his death. — Though this 
be strictly true, yet God uses means to preserve life till the 
determined moment arrives, when it must be resigned. And 
as we know not the moment till it arrives, we are to be as 
active in the use of means, as if we knew they would prove 
effectual. By means of food, and other necessaries, God 
continues to us life and health. The means are as much de- 



44 PALMER FAMILY. 

termined as the end. When a person is sick, if the appointed 
time of his dissolution be not come, God appoints medicine, 
or some other means, to restore health, and continue life still 
longer. Or suppose he is in imminent danger, if his time to 
die have not arrived, he may be saved by means, such as the 
exertions of his fellow-men. But when the determined mo- 
ment of death has come, all means fail. Life cannot be 
protracted beyond its appointed bounds. The exertions of 
friends and neighbours, and the most ardent desires to live, 
will avail nothing. The body must then return to the dust 
from which it was taken, and the spirit to God who gave 
it. "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his 
months are with thee, thou hast appoiuted his bounds that 
he cannot pass." 

APPLICATION. 

1. Has God appointed the time of every person's death ? 
We hence infer, that it is the best time — one which will 
most subserve his own glory. This world may be considered 
as a school, in which God teaches mankind the great truths 
of religion and eternity, grants them mercies, and uses the 
rod of affliction. He is the best judge how long to continue 
us in this school, and what kind of discipline to exercise 
upon us, as most subserving his own glory. This is his 
ultimate object in the great system of divine providence, 
which comprehends all events, even life and death. God 
from eternity, sees it to be most for his own glory, to give 
some a longer space to prepare for death, to others a shorter. 
He has, therefore, determined our lives accordingly. Hence 
it becomes us to be willing to glorify God in the way 
which he sees fit to appoint, whether it be in prosperity, 
or adversity ; in sickness, or in health ; in life, or in death. 
Happy are they, who seek the glory of God, and truly 
submit to his will. 

2. By this subject we are led to reflect, that as all the 
dispensations of providence will ultimately promote the 
divine glory, they will also issue in our everlasting felicity, 



PALMER FAMILY. 45 

if they be suitably regarded, and have a proper influence on 
our heart and conduct. God explicitly declares, that, "All 
things shall work together for good to those who love him." 
Though we may not be able to perceive how every particular 
event is calculated for good, yet we may see, that the general 
plan of divine operation is calculated for good. Hence we 
may infer, that every particular event, however mysterious 
and afflictive, is calculated to answer the same purpose. 
Death itself, which is appointed to all mankind, is calculated 
to excite serious reflections on a future state, and call our 
minds from carnal to spiritual objects, especially when sent 
in a sudden, and an awful manner. Afflictions are calculated 
to wean our affections from the world, and incline us to seek 
a better portion. And mercies are motives to obedience, 
and should lead our minds to God. All the divine dealings 
are calculated to excite holiness of heart ; and would produce 
this effect, were it not for the depravity of our natures. Not 
a single motive exists in the whole system of divine opera- 
tion, which has a tendency to induce us to sin. All the 
divine threatenings are calculated to alarm our minds, and 
call our attention to our spiritual concerns. And the com- 
mands of God, if strictly obeyed, would conduct us to holi- 
ness and happiness. 

As God glorifies himself by giving and taking away life, 
so life and death may both be considered as calculated for 
good. God's glory, which is exhibited in these events, is 
suited to give pleasure to holy beings, and ought to afford 
us real happiness. Indeed, the glory of God is a principal 
source of happiness to all benevolent, or holy beings. And 
if our feelings harmonize with the word of God, toe may 
enjoy the same happiness arising from the same source. 

3. Has God determined the moment of every person's 
death ? We are hence taught to attribute no one's death to 
accident or chance. However sudden, or unexpected, an event 
may be, which proves the means of death, still it is directed 
by an overruling providence. Because an event is sudden, 
and unexpected to us, we ought not to call it an accident, or 
a contingent event; but should consider it as the product of 



46 PALMER FAMILY. 

divine agency. There are various ways in which mankind 
are taken out of the world, which we are apt to call casual- 
ties, or contingent events. But we call them by a wrong 
name. They are only the means, which God is pleased to 
use, to bring mankind to their appointed end. When Ahab, 
the king of Israel, was slain, it is said, "A certain man drew 
a bow at a venture, and smote him between the joints of the 
harness;" i. e. the man drew a bow at a venture, as he 
thought; but the shaft was directed by an unerring and 
omniscient eye. God aimed the shaft at the life of the 
haughty monarch, and caused it to give the fatal blow. 
Such an event, therefore, ought not to be denominated 
contingent. By a contingent event, I mean an event pro- 
duced without agency, or design. But no such event ever 
did, or ever can exist. A horse may start, and throw his 
rider, which may instantly deprive him of life. — A house 
may take fire and be consumed, with its inhabitants. — A 
bridge may fall, and destroy the passengers upon it. — And 
a thousand events of a similar nature may, and do, take 
place; but they are not contingent events. They take place 
exactly according to divine determination. Thus the small- 
est, and, to human appearance, the most trivial, and unim- 
portant event may be a means of accomplishing great and 
important ends. Under the influence of divine agency, a 
mote, floating in the atmosphere, may be inhaled by the 
breath of a monarch, be lodged on his lungs, ulcerate his 
vitals, and deprive him of life, which may overturn a king- 
dom. In the hand of God, the smallest event may thus be 
made the means of accomplishing others great and impor- 
tant. A death, which is caused by a mere accident, as it is 
commonly, though improperly, termed, and which, in human 
view, might have been avoided by a small degree of fore- 
sight, or precaution, is as really the product of divine 
agency, as if it had been caused by a consumption, an 
apoplectic fit, or a raging fever. When a person has com- 
pleted the number of his months, and the determined day of 
his dissolution has arrived, he must submit to death by 
whatever means God is pleased to use. 



PALMER FAMILY. 47 

4. Is the period of our lives determined, and are the mo- 
ments, and manner of our deaths appointed by Jehovah? 
How does it become us to cultivate peace and harmony in 
our journey through life? Why should mankind afflict, and 
contend with, each other, when the shaft of death is levelled 
against them, and the determined moment is fast approach- 
ing, when the fatal blow will be struck, and all temporal 
objects will eternally vanish ? Why should they augment 
the miseries of life by mutual injuries, either in their char- 
acters, or property ? Go, my hearers, and take a solitary 
walk among the monuments of the dead, and observe the 
solemn quietude which there reigns. The tongue of slander 
is locked in silence, and enmity and contention are laid 
aside. No one there contends for the field of another; but 
a few feet of earth forms a sufficient possession. No one 
envies another his situation, nor treats him with contempt. 
No one strives for preferment, or seeks the applause of the 
fickle multitude; but every object of ambition ceases to 
operate. Learn then, from such a scene, to live in peace. 
Let a spirit of pure benevolence dictate every action, and 
true friendship characterize all your conduct. Realize that 
your appointed time on earth is short and precarious, and 
that you also may be suddenly arrested in the course of life. 
Let it, then, be occupied in obedience to the gospel, and in 
the cultivation of peace, harmony, and love. 

5. Is the moment appointed, in which each one must resign 
his breath, and yield his body to the dust? It becomes us, 
daily, to reflect on the solemn, and important event, and 
prepare to meet it. A dying hour must be attended with 
many serious and painful reflections, especially to those who 
are unprepared for its approach. Eternity will be opened 
to view, with all the solemnities of entering the invisible 
world. And the time is not far distant, my hearers, when 
each one of us must pass the Jordan of death, and enter an 
eternal state. The merry, thoughtless, irreligious multitude 
must soon be shrouded among the dead. Some of every 
age, we have seen, close the appointed period of life, and 
retire from this busy world. Their months were numbered 

5 



48 PALMER FAMILY. 

and finished, and the day determined for their departure 
had come. We followed their remains to their solitary 
lodgings, and deposited them in the dreary vault. And the 
admonition is now repeated, by the sudden, and affecting 
death of these two strangers. We also, with rapid strides, 
are progressing to the tomb ; and soon we shall terminate 
the journey of life. Disease, or some other means, may, in 
a few days, enervate the most vigorous constitution, eclipse 
the most brilliant countenance, and dissolve the frame. 
That may soon be the case with you, or with me. Though 
to us, the time of our dissolution is uncertain, yet it is fixed 
in the divine mind. And, to us, it is infinitely important, 
that we prepare for the event. Of this, have we not all 
been admonished, by the death of some near relative, or 
friend? The death of friends is calculated to excite the 
most tender sensations, and invite our attention to our 
spiritual concerns. Such providences, if rightly regarded, 
may be messengers of peace. Dr. Young thus observes: 



Smitten friends 



Are angels sent on errands full of love : 
For us they languish, and for us they die. 
And shall they languish ? Shall they die in vain ? 
Shall we disdain their silent soft address ; 
Their posthumous advice, and pious prayer ? 
Senseless as herds that graze their hallowed graves, 
Tread under foot their agonies and groans ; 
Frustrate their anguish, and destroy their deaths ? " 

God, in his providence, is now calling on us by the sudden 
death of two strangers, whose remains are before us, and 
are soon to be interred. Rarely do we witness so solemn 
and affecting a providence, so impressive a call to be also 
ready. They were in health and vigour, pursuing their 
journey, with as good a prospect of many future days, as 
any one present. When they stepped into the carriage, a 
few minutes before the fatal catastrophe, which terminated 
their earthly career, they, doubtless, expected, before this, 
to be enjoying the society of their friends, little suspecting 
they had so nearly reached the bounds of life. But, oh, 



PALMER FAMILY. 49 

what a reverse ? One hour in health and activity, with flat- 
tering prospects before them ; the next, having done with 
all worldly concerns, they become employed in the scenes 
of eternity ! How solemn the reflection ! ! How loud the 
admonition ! ! 

Respecting their religious character, we are wholly igno- 
rant. This, however, is certain — they are gone to render 
their great account. In regard to the elder, Mr. Isaac 
Prentiss, we know very little. From information by a pas- 
senger yesterday, it appears that he was respectable, and 
has left, at Boston, a young family, to deplore his exit. 
How peculiarly distressing must be the tidings, to the be- 
reaved, widow, and her orphan children! What anguish 
must wring their hearts ! May the God of the widow, and 
the fatherless, support them by his gracious presence, and 
grant them divine protection and consolation, under their 
distressing bereavement, causing their affliction to operate 
for their spiritual and everlasting benefit. And may our 
most fervent prayers ascend to the God of all grace in their 
behalf. 

In respect to the younger, Mr. John Temple Palmer, more 
particular information has been obtained. If this informa- 
tion be correct, he was the son of Capt. William L. Palmer, 
a British officer in the revolutionary war. His mother, 
Augusta, was grand daughter of the late governor Bowdoin 
of Massachusetts, and daughter of Sir John Temple, Bart, 
who was, at the time of her marriage with Capt. Palmer, 
Consul General in the United States from the court of 
Great Britain. The parents of the deceased removed from 
this country to England ; but, for some years past, have re- 
sided in the south of France. Having given their son a clas- 
sical education in Europe, they sent him about four years 
since, to pursue the study of law in this country, in which 
he intended to settle. So far as I can learn, he has spent 
part of this time at Harvard University, and part with Mr. 
Emmett, a distinguished Attorney in the city of New- York. 
He had many respectable connections in Boston, particularly 
the Bowdoin and Winthrop families. To these he had made 



50 PALMER FAMILY. 

a visit, expecting, on his return to New- York, to embark for 
Europe, on a visit to his parents and friends. His hopes 
were, doubtless, high, of again seeing his beloved parents, 
and of enjoying, with them, the family circle. But the 
Most High had otherwise determined. In a moment, all his 
worldly hopes were blasted, and his expectations were in- 
stantly cut off. Instead of entering the elegant apartment, 
and uniting in the social circle of his friends, he is shrouded 
in death, and soon to be consigned to the dreary vault, till 
the heavens are no more. To his remains may be addressed 
the words of the poet : 

" How lov'd, how honour'd once avails thee not, 
To whom related or by whom begot. 
A mass of dust alone remains of thee, 
'T is all thou art, and all the proud shall be." 

How must it pierce the heart of his anxious parents to 
hear, that their darling son, from whose liberal acquire- 
ments, and shining talents, they anticipated much, is gone 
to that world, from which there is no return ! And how 
aggravating must be to them, the manner and circum- 
stances of his death ! They may with propriety adopt the 
following lines : 

" By foreign hands, thy dying eyes were clos'd, 
By foreign hands thy decent limbs compos'd, 
By foreign hands thy humble grave 's adorn'd, 
By strangers honoured, and by strangers mourn'd." 

May a merciful providence afford them the support and 
consolations of our holy religion. 

In view of this mysterious dispensation, it becomes us all 
to be still, and know that the Most High is God. This should 
compose our minds, and still every murmur. How repeat- 
edly are we admonished of the folly of placing our hopes, 
or dependence on any thing here below; and of the impor- 
tance of seeking "first the kingdom of God and his right- 
eousness ! " And shall we disregard those solemn monitors, 
which the providence of God so frequently sets before us ? 



PALMER FAMILY. 51 

Shall we be wholly indifferent to our everlasting concerns ? 
Instead of reflecting on, and preparing for, the hour of 
death and the interesting scenes which await us beyond the 
grave, shall we suffer the fleeting pleasures, the momentary 
enjoyments of this delusive world to occupy our supreme 
attention ? Rather let us listen to the language of the dead, 
and obey their call. With silent eloquence, they admonish 
us from another world, saying, prepare for eternity on which 
we have entered. Having agonized in the pangs of death, 
and yielded our lives to the king of terrors, we have em- 
barked on the shoreless ocean of eternity, and appear before 
our Judge. We have now that view of eternal realities, 
which is truly interesting and important, beyond what can 
be described to mortals. Therefore, be entreated to let your 
spiritual concerns engage your supreme attention, and be 
no longer faithless, but believing. With such language we 
are now addressed by those who have entered the world of 
spirits. And shall we disdain their friendly admonitions, 
their posthumous advice? Rather let us regard their ad- 
monition, and prepare for our own departure. To obtain 
this preparation, religion must be the main business of life. 
Would you die in peace, my hearers, and join the holy 
society above? You must be born again, "not of blood, 
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God," the fruit of which is a holy life. What sensations 
will it produce in a dying hour, to reflect that you have dis- 
regarded religion, neglected the word and worship of God, 
and spent your sabbaths in worldly chat, or idle slumbers ? 
Let conscience, the vicegerent of Jehovah, perform its office, 
and it will inform you, that the religion of Jesus is the one 
thing needful, and that without this, you must lie down in 
everlasting sorrow. 

This life is but the dawn of existence. While in time, we 
are only in embryo, preparing for eternity. The great 
business of this world, therefore, is to prepare for another; 
and we have no time to devote to trifles. Repentance 
towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, 
should be our daily employment. But if, instead of this, 



52 PALMER FAMILY. 

time be spent in vanity, an eternity of misery must inevitably 
succeed. 

Of what infinite importance is an immortal soul! Mil- 
lions of worlds are nothing in the comparison ; and yet how 
many are bartered for the phantoms of time — the bubbles 
of an hour ! ! Be entreated, dear hearers, to avoid such a 
fatal delusion. This world can afford but a partial happi- 
ness, at best ; and even that is precarious and momentary. 

"Loose then from earth the grasp of fond desire, 
Weigh anchor, and some happier clime explore." 

Learn to live the religion of Jesus, that you may die in 
peace, however sudden, or unexpected the summons may 
arrive. With this, you may be happy : without it, you must 
be miserable. " O that you were wise, that you understood 
this, that you would consider your latter end." May God 
bless his word for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



NOTE. 

For the information of the reader, and the friends of the sufferers, it 
may be proper here to give a brief statement of the circumstances 
attending the melancholy event which occasioned the preceding dis- 
course. 

In passing through the town of Durham, the stage-coach crosses a 
stream usually small, but with high banks. Over this stream is a 
wooden bridge, 94 feet long, and 21 feet high. On the east, or above 
the bridge, at the distance of 180 feet, is a mill-dam. At the distance 
of 36 rods below, is a log for the convenience of foot passengers, sup- 
ported at each end by a tree. The earth, at this time, (Feb. 21st, 1822,) 
was covered with a large body of snow, and the streams were deeply 
frozen. 

Before the dawn of this memorable day, which proved so fatal to the 
two passengers, whose death we deplore, a warm and violent wind 
commenced from the south, accompanied by a heavy rain. The water, 
however, did not rise till about 10 o'clock, A. M., or less than two hours 
before the stage arrived. But so rapid was the rise of water, that, in 
one hour and a half, large cakes of ice were brought down against the 
trusties of the bridge, and one pair was carried away. A few minutes 
after this event, which was known to but very few, between the hours 



PALMER FAMILY. 53 

of 11 and 12, the great mail-stage arrived, containing Messrs. Isaac 
Prentiss, John T. Palmer, and Philip Gray, as passengers. In attempt- 
ing to cross the bridge from the north, the southern part gave way, and 
with the exception of the lead horses, which had reached the abutment, 
the whole were precipitated into the torrent, which carried them down 
together, till they struck the abovementioned log. Here the carriage 
was dashed in pieces. The driver seized the limb of a tree, and held 
till he was rescued. Mr. Gray swam for a fence, which extended into 
the water, which he hardly reached, and from which he was taken 
with difficulty. The two other gentlemen were overwhelmed by the 
torrent. 

The alarm was instantly given, and many were soon present, who 
used every possible exertion, even at the risque of health and life, to 
save the unfortunate sufferers. But all in vain. They had sunk to 
rise no more ! It was nearly four hours before the body of Mr. Prentiss 
was found, which was then past resuscitation. The body of Mr. Palmer 
was not found till early the next morning. Their remains were treated 
with marked respect by every class of citizens. On the day of their 
interment, they were attended to the house of God by a large con- 
course of people from this and the adjacent towns, where the pre- 
ceding discourse was delivered to a deeply affected and sympathizing 
audience. 






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